Today, we are incredibly excited to kick off our new series showcasing personal stories on how renewable projects have impacted organizations and communities. Even more exciting, we are glad to kick off this series with an interview and profile of the Rural Education Advancement Program (REAP), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to make STEM programs accessible to K-12 students in rural communities. Read more about how renewable energy projects have directly impacted REAP’s work.
For the past few years, REAP has worked to bring robotics programs to schools and to increase young students’ interest in STEM careers. They worked with schools in Belen, Los Lunas, Pueblo of Isleta, and the School of Dreams Academy (SODA) to have mentors and teachers teach second through sixth grade students how to code. The programs culminated into large events where kids demonstrated the coding skills they gained through REAP’s program.
REAP’s efforts were greatly boosted by the Facebook Los Lunas Data Center’s Community Action Grant program two years ago. The funding from Facebook provided the resources necessary for REAP to better support its teachers and organize the Junior Botball Challenge. The impact was immediately evident by the well-attended event and, most importantly, by the young students who picked up the new language and were able to read and understand lines of code.
As is the case with the rest of our communities and organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic presented REAP with many challenges. Since the safety regulations have been in place, students are no longer able to access the robotics kits and working virtually doesn’t have the same engagement when considering the Zoom fatigue many of us have experienced.
Now that vaccinations are being rolled out and schools and businesses are slowly reopening, REAP hopes to plan out their next in-person challenge around December. In the meantime, REAP’s team has worked on increasing access to coding programs in different ways. They have been refurbishing surplus government computers to provide them to students who otherwise may not be able to access computers.
REAP’s important work was aided by revenue from renewable projects, and the increased funds they received from Facebook allowed them to expand their programs to serve, inspire, and prepare students to fully participate in a STEM future. ReNew Mexico is greatly inspired by the dedication and mission of REAP and their collaborative efforts to ensure equitable access to these crucial skills and resources, and we very much look forward to elevating their efforts! Keep up to date on their work on their social media and website.
Want to learn more about other community projects to support from ReNew Mexico? Read about them HERE.